The coach of one of Wales’ most famous tug-of-war teams has called for the sport to be reinstated into the Olympic Games .

Former world champion Dorian Phillips said few sports in the modern Olympic line-up could match tug-of-war (TOW) for its physical intensity.

He has been a part of Llanboidy TOW Club ever since it was started in 1968 and was a member of the squad which won the 1977 World Championships in Jersey.

“It would be great to see it in the Olympic Games again. It deserves its place on the biggest platform,” said Dorian, whose Llanboidy team feature in a new S4C series, Chwys (Sweat), this week.

“You see some of the other sports in the Olympics nowadays but there aren’t many as tough as tug-of-war.

“It’s a very tough sport and you’ve got to train well for it. The crowds love it too.

“There aren’t many teams in Wales these days and the numbers are shrinking. But if people saw it in the Olympics, I think a lot more people would give it a go.”

To get an insight into the rigours of a TOW competition, take a look at the video above, which features young farmers – and a few older ones too – taking the strain at last weekend’s Llanrwst Rural Show.

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Tug-of-war competition in Henryd during the Coronation celebrations of 1953 (Image: Conwy Archives)

Tug-of-war at the Olympics

Tug-of-war competitions have featured in the Olympic Games five times in the past, the last at the 1920 Games, when it was won by Great Britain.

TOW teams from Britain have twice won the gold medal, a record matched by Sweden, though one was shared with Denmark.

Originally countries were repesented by clubs and could enter multiple teams, leading to the USA occupying the top four positions at the 1904 Olympiad.

The Tug of War Association (TOWA) has lobbied hard to get the sport back on the Olympic roster, while individuals and clubs have launched a number of petitions.

Tug-of-war is a recognised sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and competitions are now held at the World Games every four years under the patronage of the IOC for sports that are not yet part of the Olympic Games.

A mixed team feel the pain at this year's National Outdoor Tug of War championship, Macclesfield (Image: Dominic Salter)

Tug-of-war more objective than many Olympic sports

The TOWA said the sport warrants re-introduction into the Olympic Games.

It said: “The rules are easy to understand and the sport is spectator friendly.

“In addition, the results do not depend on subjective scoring by a panel of judges.

“Tug-of-war is accessible to everyone at all levels as the sport does not require large amounts of costly equipment, space, or bespoke sports stadia.”